ᐅ Increase the garden patio size directly during new construction?

Hello

We have purchased a newly built semi-detached house. Our developer will install a standard 3x5m (10x16 ft) terrace using basic concrete slabs (ugly, costing about 10-15€ per sqm).

Later, we definitely want a larger terrace, about 4 or 5m (13-16 ft) deep and 9-10m (30-33 ft) wide, matching the width of the entire plot.

Should we have the large terrace built right away during the new construction and have our chosen stones installed immediately?

Or would it be better to wait about a year until the ground has properly settled so the terrace remains nice for a long time and doesn’t slightly sink or develop small waves over time, since the soil settles gradually after new construction (this is a large new development with 60 semi-detached houses and soakaways on each plot)?

After the ground has settled, then hire a company to build the terrace for us.

Which option would make more sense?

If the ground is properly prepared and compacted, it won’t settle.
That’s why we included the full size of the terrace in the excavation work when preparing the house site (soil structure, reinforced concrete, general slope, etc.).
Once the house is built, it’s much easier to lay the paving.

Also consider the maximum allowable building coverage ratio for your plot.
The dimensions mentioned seem a bit large to me for a semi-detached house plot.

And depending on the state, setbacks from property boundaries must be observed when building terraces. This should also be taken into consideration! Of course, if it is legally possible, it is better to build it directly rather than extend it later. Unless the special request is priced with a too high amount.

The plot is 400 m² (4300 sq ft), so the area should actually be suitable, or are there issues with that in NRW?

Also, if the prices from the developer are reasonable, should I go ahead directly?
Is there any way to ensure that everything is properly compacted?

Pacc666 schrieb:

The plot is 400 sqm (4306 sq ft), so the area should basically be sufficient. Or are there issues with that in NRW?

It depends on what the applicable land-use plan (which includes the floor area ratio) states, as well as how large the house, driveway, garage, etc. are planned to be.

It’s impossible to answer this in general terms, except to say that it can become very tight.

It would be extremely frustrating if you had to tear down a terrace that was built or purchased at great expense just because a) the building authority inspects it, or b) a neighbor reports it (which is more likely).